Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Review: "Mitt," a Documentary by Netflix

This past week, Netflix released "Mitt," a behind-the-scenes documentary about former governor and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

"Mitt" is not focused on the strategies that go into running for President. It is, instead, a quiet look at Romney the man. How did Romney deal with defeat? How does Romney interact with his family? And indeed, it is a quiet look; there is no narrator, instead opting for simple text when the date changes. Anyone who followed the races in 2008 and 2012 will be able to follow along.

So, how is "Mitt?" It is good. Nearly great. And very interesting throughout.Who Romney is behind-the-scenes stands in stark contrast to the demonized "vulture capitalist" portrayed by many liberal media outlets. Romney comes across as a man who ran for President not because he wanted power, but forced by his belief that he could offer more to the country than Barack Obama.

Further, the movie only quickly glances at Ann Romney's battle with multiple sclerosis. And yet in those few minutes, it shows the derision that Ms. Romney received from the Left for her affinity for horses and elevators, not as deserved, but cruel and untruthful.

Something that stuck out to me was the tremendous disconnect between how the media portrayed the Romney family and how they actually are. It worried me that so-called journalists would vilify Romney, yet the Romney family was unable to dispel these untruths. It points to the power that the news and biased reporters have on shaping public perception of a man.Indeed, reading through reviews, people of liberal persuasions try to damn Romney with faint praise, unable to understand what this quiet documentary shows.

Alessandra Stanley chortles in the New York Times, "Mr. Romney is likable in this depiction. But little in Mitt suggests that he is also electable." Such dense analysis of the film is almost breath-taking. One of the greatest cries of the Left during the 2012 election was that Romney was heartless; rarely was his ability to manage something called into question.

The fact that Romney is shown to be, in fact, the opposite of what people like Ms. Stanley portrayed him as is the whole point. Mitt Romney is a human being deserving of respect, something that the Left tried to rob him of in 2012.

And his so-called lack of humanity, as well as his ability to energize his conservative base, was the downfall of Mr. Romney's bid in this past Presidential election. But then again, "Mitt" does not delve into this muddle. And for what the documentary is, it is was wise move.